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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — the cause
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. suit — clothes
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. suit — in cards
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. club — for golf
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stock — shares
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com